This memorial stands in front of the GAR hall in Peninsula Ohio. The GAR hall had been condemned and was to be burned to the ground as a training exercise for the local volunteer fired department. Mr. Hunker bought and restored the building. 

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Robert L. Hunker was a successful entrepreneur who had the foresight, resolve, and resources to preserve much of the historic buildings in the village of Peninsula, Ohio. Many of the buildings he restored were in poor condition or had been slated for demolition. Mr. Hunker recognized the historical value of each and restored each to its original condition. As such, he has preserved a chapter the village of Peninsula's history. 

Robert L. Hunker Memorial

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This short walking tour takes visitors to a number of historic buildings and landmarks located near each other within the small community of Peninsula Ohio. 

The following information comes directly&nbsp;from the Peninsula Foundation:"The last members of the G.A.R. returned the property to the village in 1914. Veterans returning from World War I formed the Fauble Post of the American Legion and purchased the G.A.R. Hall from the village in 1931. The Fauble Post ceased to meet by 1959 and the property reverted to the State of Ohio’s American Legion. The structure fell into critical disrepair by 1962 and was sold for back taxes by the Legion to Robert L. Hunker, a local preservationist who restored the building’s grandeur.In the 1880s, the G.A.R. Hall was a meeting place for the veterans of the Grand Army of the Republic and the social center for the village where weddings, funerals, plays, and parties were held as well as meetings of the G.A.R. The hall also served as a basketball court for the school after it was moved across the street. It was also the location for one of the first showings of a motion picture in Summit County. From 1943 until 1949, the G.A.R. Hall was the home of the Peninsula Players.World War II brought an end to the building’s usefulness for the American Legion and Peninsula Players and the building fell into disrepair. By the early 1960s, the west wing was gone and the building was in such poor condition that it was slated for destruction as a fire drill by the local fire department. Robert L. Hunker stepped in and purchased the land and house at the rear to provide for a sewage treatment plant. He restored the main floor and stage to its original condition. The insignias of the G.A.R. painted by Charles Currier remain. Flanking the stage are oil chandeliers and sidelights which are identical to the original fixtures of the hall.Today, the G.A.R. Hall is operated as a Civil War museum and special events facility which works in conjunction with the Peninsula Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) not for profit operating foundation."

The Grand Army of the Republic Hall began as a one-room schoolhouse in the center of Peninsula, Ohio, and was then converted to a gathering place for veterans of the Civil War. The members of GAR Post #272 veterans names the hall in George L. Waterman, a native of Peninsula who was in Dayton while attempting to quell pro-slavery riot.

Grand Army of the Republic Hall

The building was constructed in 1887 by the Peninsula Board of Education using the stick-style design of architect John Eisenmann. Eisenmann designed many buildings including the Cleveland Arcade. He also designed the state flag for Ohio which was adopted in 1902. 
Over time, the study population outgrew the building and the building was used for various other purposes. By 1985, the building closed by order of the State Fire Marshal. The non-profit Boston Township Hall Committee, Inc. was formed in 1990 and took on the task of coordinating the renovation of the buildings and finding new uses for them. A $1.2 million renovation was begun in 1999 to rehabilitate the buildings. The building is now is the home for a number of businesses that rent office space.  

Boston Townhip Schoolhouse and Township Hall

The H.V. Bronson House, located in Peninsula, Summit County, Ohio, was built in 1845. The exterior walls of the two-story house are made of native sandstone, which was quarried nearby. The house, located west of the Cuyahoga River, also features a wood cornice, a three-bay facade, and is still in good condition. The town is located in Cuyahoga Valley National Park.Bronson initially plotted the town of Peninsula - so-named because it resembles a peninsula on the Cuyahoga River - in 1837, but arrived there in 1824; it had been settled as early as 1818. In 1832, he tunneled through the neck of the peninsula, creating an 8-foot drop and providing water power for a gristmill. Bronson came to Ohio from Connecticut, and was descended from the White family, which came to the New World on the Mayflower. The town was the site of a series of locks along the Erie Canal, and was a bustling canal boat stop, with several mills, quarries, boat yards, a cheese factory, five hotels and 14 bars until 1887. It's one of about 70 historic buildings preserved as part of the Peninsula Village Historic District. Many of those buildings were renovated and restored by village resident and professional designer Robert Hunker. Those not yet fully restored are in good condition and capable of being restored.

The Bronson House is a Greek Revival House built in 1845 by Herman Bronson. The house is one of 70 buildings in the Peninsula Village Historic District. Bronson is responsible for creating the initial plotting of the village on Peninsula in 1837. The town is named after the fact that the Cuyahoga River makes a sharp twist. Thus the town appears to be at the tip of a peninsula. The town was the site of a series of locks along the Erie Canal. Bronson is also responsible for the construction of the Bronson Methodist Church. The church, now owned by the Peninsula Foundation, stands across the street from the Bronson House. 

Peninsula Ohio Walking Tour

Robert L. Hunker Memorial

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